Body positioner for embalmers



April 4, 1950 J. F. TURLEY' 2,502,765

BODY POSITIONER FOR EMBALMERS Filed Sept. 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l a 35 4 f 0-4 Q? AM m ca At/nrneys April 4, 1950 J. F. TURLEY 2,502,765

BODY POSITIONER FOR EMBALMERS Filed Sept. 5, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Shet 2 A no rn eys Patented Apr. 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BODY POSITIONER FOR EMBALMERS James F. Turley, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Application September 5, 1946, Serial No. 694,851

Claims. 1

This invention relates to an apparatus adapted for use by embalmers for correctly positioning the arms and mouth of a cadaver so that when rigor mortis sets in, the mouth and arms will be retained in a natural position and will not assume an unnatural position which would otherwise occur.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide an apparatus that will retain the mouth in a closed position and which will hold the arms so that the upper arms and elbows are slightly raised and disposed close to the body and with the forearms positioned over the abdomen, so that the body can be readily positioned in a casket.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for the aforedescribed purposes of extremely simple construction capable of being readily applied to the body of a cadaver and which is adjustable to enable correct fitting thereof to bodies of various sizes;

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is an end view in elevation of the apparatus shown positioned on an embalmers table;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figures 4 and 5 are longitudinal sectional views taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines 44 and 55, respectively, of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, for the purpose of better illustrating the invention, a portion of an embalmers table 6 is illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, and which includes an elongated table top I having an upper surface 8 on which the body of a cadaver, not shown, is adapted to be positioned, while being embalmed.

The body positioning apparatus, comprising the invention is designated generally 9, and includes a transversely disposed arch member, designated generally I0, which is provided with downwardly and inwardly turned ends H. The terminal portions IQ of the downwardly and inwardly turned ends II are disposed substantially parallel to and beneath the intermediate portion of the arch member ID and adjacent the ends thereof, and are attached to the upper ends of standards or pedestals l3 which are provided with enlarged bases l4, adapted to rest on the table and wing nut f astenings l8, which extend through the slots E5.

The apparatus 9 also includes an elongated bar l9 formed of extensible sections and 2| provided with longitudinal slots 22 for receiving a bolt and wing nut fastening 23 by means of which the sections 20 and 2| may be retainedtogether in a plurality of adjusted positions. The outer end of the section 20 is adjustably connected by a bolt and wing nut fastening 24 through the slot l5 to the intermediate portion of the arch Ill. The remote end of the bar sec-- tion 2| is provided with a restricted neck 25 which terminates in a knob or head 26.

The apparatus l0 also includes a pair of bars,

each designated generally 21 and each formed of sections 28 and 29 which are longitudinally;

slotted at 30 to receive a nut and wing bolt fastening 3! for retaining the bar sections 28 and 29 in a plurality of adjusted positions. The remote end of each bar section 28 is connected by nut and wing bolt fastenings 32 through the slot I5 to the arch member 10 and the remote end at each bar'section 29 is turned back upon itself to form a hook 33, as best seen in Figures 4 and 5. The apparatus 9, as previously described is.

adapted to be positioned 'on the table surface 8, as best illustrated in Figure 2, so that the arch member In is disposed transversely of thetable,

and so that the bars l9 and 21 extend longitudinally thereof. The bar I 9 extends in one direction from the arch member l0, toward the head of the table, and the bars 21 extend in the opposite direction. As best illustrated in Figure 2, the bar I9 is disposed between the bars 21, intermediate of the ends of the arch member I 0. Assuming a cadaver, not shown, to be positioned on the table surface 8, the apparatus 9 is positioned over the body and transversely thereof and with the arch member In disposed over the chest and with the bar l9 extending toward the head. The upper arms or bicepses are positioned in the downwardly turned back hook portions H and supported thereby in an elevated position relatively to the table surface 8. The forearms are 3 folded across the abdomen and are positioned in engagement with the hook portion 33 which may be adjustably positioned relatively to the arch member I0 by extending or retracting the bar sections 28 and 29, so that the forearms, wrists and hands will be placed over the abdomen in a normal position. As illustrated in the drawings, the hook portions 33 are shown as being offset upwardly with respect to the bars 21, but it will be readily apparent thatthe bar sections 2i!v can be disengaged from the bar sections 28 and inverted for positioning the hook portions 33 beneath the horizontal planes of the bars 21 in case the forearms can be morev normally held with the hook members 33 thus disposed. It will be readily apparent that the bolt and wing nut fastenings l 8 may be 100581 66. for-shortening or lengthening the arch member ID to thereby move the hook portions I l toward or away from one another to better accommodate them to bodies of different sizes, so that the upper arms or bicepses and elbows will be held not only in raised positions but relatively close to the body, so that the body will assume a'natural, life-like position, when placed in the casket. After the arms have thus been engaged, as previously described, the bar sections 2.0 and 2f are extended to position the knob or head 28 against the chin so as to retain the mouth in a closed position and the fastening 23 is then tightened to retain the bar sections 20 and 2| in properly adjusted positions.

The apparatus 9, as previously described, is thus applied and retained in position on the body, during the embalming operation and preferably thereafter until rigor mortis has occurred and the body is ready to be placed in the casket, so that when the apparatus 9 is removed, the parts engaged thereby will be retained or will remain in the position as previously held.

The forearm engaging members or bars 21' may be disposed either parallel, as illustrated, or in converging or diverging relationship to one another, by loosening fastenings 32 and angularly adjusting bars 21 relatively to the arch [0, after which fastenings 32 are again tightened, to retain the forearms and hands in a most natural position. Further, the arch sections 16 and i! may be turned slightly and disposed in crossed relationship and connected by a single fastening 18, for adapting the arch in to fit the bodies of small children. Also, two of the members 33- may be connected by a fastening 3i and utilized to engage and properly hold the legs of a cadaver.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a body positioning apparatus for em balmers, an arch member adapted to be disposed transversely across the chest of a cadaver and provided with biceps receiving portions for supporting the upper arms and elbows in raised positions and close to the body, supporting posts forming a part of the arch member and on which the biceps receiving portions are supported, and forearm engaging members projecting transversely from the intermediate portion of said arch member and adapted to engage the forearms for retaining the forearms and hands across the abdomen.

2. A body positioning apparatus for embalmers, comprising a pair of supporting standards adapted to rest on and rising from a supporting surface of a cadaver and adapted to be disposed one on each side of the cadaver, and a bridge member formed of adjustably connected sections which are extensibly adjustable and adapted to extend transversely across the chest of the cadaver, said sections having downwardly and inwardly turned biceps receiving outer end portions, each of said outer end portions engaging on and being supported by the upper end of one of said posts for supporting the bridge member across the chest of the cadaver.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, said arch memher having an upper portion formed of adjustably connected sections for extensibly adjusting the biceps receiving portions to bodies of various sizes, said adjustably connected sections having downwardly and inwardly turned back outer ends forming said biceps receiving portions.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, said forearm engaging members each comprising adjustably connected sections which are adjustably extensible, one section of each forearm engaging memher having an outer turned back end forming a forearm engaging portion.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, said forearm engaging members each being formed of rigid adjustably connected sections, said forearm engaging members being extensible and angularly adjustable relatively to the arch member.

JAMES F. TURLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,845,338 Querna Feb. 16, 1932 2,047,441 Starbuck July 14, 1936 2,103,376 Murray Dec. 28, 1937 2,180,270 Anderson Nov. 14, 1939 2,207,968 Erasure July 16, 1940 

